


Episode 6: The Brunch Date

by c000kiesandcream



Series: The One with the Sitcom AU [6]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Sitcom AU, The One With the Sitcom AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-10-08 09:13:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10383279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c000kiesandcream/pseuds/c000kiesandcream
Summary: Yuuri has an impromptu meeting with Sara, and is shocked to hear what she has to offer.





	

Three sharp knocks echoed around the empty apartment. Phichit groaned as he trudged to the door, sure that Yuuri was faking sleep so that he didn't have to answer. He was surprised to find Sara Crispino in the hallway, wearing a long tan coat over her grey pantsuit. She was ready for a day at work, Andy Phichit felt slightly self conscious that he was in his hamster print pajamas.

"Morning, Phichit, how are you?" She was tapping on her phone as she spoke, glancing up with her perfectly lined purple eyes briefly before returning to her iPhone. Phichit smiled.

"I'm fine. Sleeping, actually. What's up?" He leaned against the doorframe and yawned. Sara just nodded.

"I was hoping Yuuri would be free for coffee? Sorry, emails," she put her phone away now, and flashed Phichit a dazzling smile. She really was beautiful, even in the morning light. Phichit stepped aside to let her in, and she laughed at the mess on the coffee table.

"Who was playing Monopoly?" Her heels clicked as she walked across the hardwood floor to admire the Lord of the Rings version of the classic board game. Across the table the huts had been scattered, and fake money was strewn across the furniture and the floor.

"We were last night. Chris lost," he answered, earning him another laugh. "Yuuri!" He called, rapping his knuckles against the plastic poster stretched over the door. There was no answer, so he stepped in to find the room empty, and a note on his desk.  
"He's at the college offices," he passed the note to Sara, who took it, and with her free hand ordered an Uber. 

"I'll go meet him. Columbia, right? Thanks, and sorry about waking you," she blew a kiss as she walked the length of the room and let herself out. As she did, the purple door opposite opened. Chris stepped into the dull light of the hallway, narrowing his eyes at Phichit, before storming into the apartment.  
"Round two. This time I'm the elf."

* * *

"Okay, JJ, if you can just focus on staying awake long enough to actually edit, that would be great. Leo, I need those features as soon as possible, and, I'm sorry, I'm not sure I know your name, but please make sure the lacrosse photos from that game are on my desk fully edited in half an hour," Yuuri walked the length of the room as he spoke, glancing at the desks of the journalists as he spoke. The paper cup of coffee in his hand was already lukewarm but it didn't stop him from drinking most of it in one gulp. When he took a seat at his own desk, the room filled with the monotonous noise of clicking keys, and the general buzz of the journalists discussing their projects. Opposite him, JJ was visibly stressed. He hadn't changed out of what Yuuri assumed were his pajamas, and he had a toothpaste stain on the front of his shirt.

Early this morning, they had been told that their printing time for tomorrow's paper had been shifted to a slot five hours earlier than usual, which meant their paper needed to be completed by 4pm this afternoon if they had any hope of releasing it in time. Usually, Yuuri was the one mid-meltdown due to scheduling errors, but today, JJ was struggling the most. Yuuri hadn't asked what was wrong with him, choosing instead to give him the easier tasks while he worked damage control. He didn't have time to worry.

They had already been in the office for a couple of hours, and Yuuri could really use a break, but the paper hadn't missed an edition since the college opened, and he was not ready to have his name attached to that disaster. When the clock hit 9:30, a hush rippled through the room as a pair of heels walked the floor. Yuuri stood up, looking to see why the machine had stopped when he recognised Sara. She waved at him, and he smiled back.

"Hey, Sara, what are you doing here?" He offered her a seat, and from the opposite side of the room, he could hear the younger journalists whispering. It was easy for Yuuri to forget he wasn't friends with some pretty influential people.

"Ah, Yuuri, i was wondering if you wanted to grab breakfast, or rather brunch, so we can catch up properly! We didn't get the chance to actually talk at the Halloween party, and I would love to finally have that meeting," she didn't take the seat, but she leaned against JJ's desk as she spoke. He didn't look up from his computer screen, but the other journalists were craning their necks to make sure they weren't seeing things.

She stuck out in the casual office, her two piece, steel grey suit just visible beneath the Burberry coat that she had belted shut. A deep purple blouse matched her heels and her handbag, which looked as though it cost more than Yuuri's tuition. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, glancing out at the journalists who all pretended to be working when she made eye contact. Most were wearing university hoodies to battle against the freezing office. Sara's face was soft when she did catch the eye of a couple of students, but they didn't smile back.

"Yeah, sure, I can take a break," he nodded, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair and leading the way out the door. "Leo, make sure JJ doesn't combust."

"S-sure," Leo replied, turning to see that JJ had now made a makeshift fort with the hardback research books he had stacked on his desk.  
Yuuri led Sara over the green of the campus, before turning out of the gate and down the fairly quiet sidewalk. She then took over navigation, tapping on her phone to make sure they had a table waiting for them.

"Your office is adorable, and you have such good command of the staff," she commented. Yuuri shrugged.

"It's not really my office, the other guy runs it," he answered, noncommittal. He had rejected the role of editor purely because of the stress of failure, but he found that working as second in command allowed him the license to take the reigns every so often. His confidence in his work had developed over the past few months, but he still wasn't confident as a leader.

"Hmm, toothpaste stain? He wasn't much help, it seems like the paper is in crisis mode. Printer issue?" She stopped in front of a large restaurant which was well lit and stood out against the grey morning. Inside, the walls were bare brick painted white, and the furniture and fixtures were all burnished rose gold. Yuuri couldn't believe the shine from the surfaces, handing his coat over to a dubious looking waiter. Said waiter was short, and his red hair fell onto his face limply.

"This way, Ms Crispino," he ignored Yuuri as he lead Sara to a high countertop table, before placing a couple of opaque glasses in front of them. He poured a green juice into them, before turning and leaving. Yuuri hadn't yet sat down, and Sara gestured he should.

"I love this place, they do great eggs. So, paper in crisis, and the editor can hardly keep his eyes open. Are you sure you won't be missed?" She sipped her juice, waiting for an answer.

"They can survive half an hour without me. So what did you want to talk about?" Yuuri tried his juice too, and almost immediately spit it back out. Sara laughed.

"Not a fan of kale, huh? Don't worry, he can get you whatever you want," she waved over their moody waiter as she spoke. "I'd say you're indispensable at that paper, and I want you to take the role as editor. I need a portfolio to support your application. Yes, he will have the Java Jump please? And we will be ready to order in a moment, thanks James," she didn't stop to make the order, giving Yuuri the chance to think about what she had said.

"My application?" He asked, glancing over at the servers counter where James was mixing some blueberries and some other mushed fruit Yuuri didn't recognise. Sara nodded.

"Yeah, I want you to intern at GQ but the position won't be open forever, obviously. I need the work from you so I can get you in. Just as a technicality, but HR need that work otherwise they will block the application before it gets submitted. So, you just need your name on a few editions of the paper, and I can fast track you."

Yuuri couldn't believe his ears. This was the dream, but he didn't want it to be handed to him. This was evident on his face, apparently, because Sara reached a hand out to touch his arm.

"Yuuri I've read your work and you're good, but you need to put yourself out there more. Even Mickey liked you, whether he will ever admit it or not, who knows." She shrugged. "All I know is that I want you working for me, and Chris actually wrote you a great character reference already-" 

"Chris did?" Yuuri asked. Sara just nodded enthusiastically.

"And Victor. It was actually his idea to set up the meeting, that's why I got your details at Halloween because my calendar is all over the place at the moment, and he said you wouldn't ever contact me, so I had to come get you but Mickey spelled your email wrong, I'm assuming on purpose. Maybe because he thinks we will fall madly in love with each other," she laughed, and James had returned with a rose gold pencil and notepad in hand to take the order. When he left, Yuuri still hadn't quite registered what she had said.

"Okay, so get my name on the paper, and I can come and work with you?" He sounded incredulous, but she confirmed it to be true.

"Yes, obviously. I'd love to work with you, Yuuri. I think you could have a great career in the magazine industry," she cleared space in front of her for the breakfast plate that was already being placed in front of her.

"What? This is so quick," Yuuri smiled at his pancakes. Sara winked.

"Pros of dating the owner."

Behind the counter, Yuuri recognised the blonde man who had argued with Phichit during Victor and Chris's housewarming party. He waved, before turning to his food.

* * *

Yuuri had the rest of the day to consider Sara's proposal. And the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. 

JJ had left when Yuuri showed up, phone pressed to his ear as he ran out the door, speaking in hushed tones. Leo greeted him with a barrage of questions about both his brunch date and the paper. His hair was slicked back in a bandana, and he had abandoned his hoody while he worked, the pin board now full of the new paper layout he had worked through. Yuuri was impressed, and asked about how much JJ had contributed.

"He's been on his phone since you left, I dunno, but I did this myself," Leo said proudly.

"Wow, this is great. Okay, let's get this as wrapped up as soon we can and maybe we can make those afternoon lectures before we have to be back here to send off the final pages." 

When Yuuri sat down his phone buzzed with a text from Phichit asking about lunch plans. He quickly tapped a reply back, before dropping his phone in the drawer to avoid distraction. He worked through the rest of the morning, tracing Leo's plan onto the software on his computer until the clock struck 1. Leo stood up, collecting in the work of the journalists for Yuuri to finish up editing, before heading to the first of his afternoon classes. By half past 1 the office was empty, and Yuuri pulled his phone out of the drawer before heading out himself.

He had 2 messages from Phichit telling Yuuri to pick up their lunch, and a stream of Snapchats showing the rise and fall of Chris's Monopoly empire, and the aftermath of the temper tantrum as a result of his loss. He quickly snapped back, demanding a photo of cleanup and asking what food he needed to collect. Obviously, Phichit didn't reply, so Yuuri hopped on his bike and cycled down towards the apartment.

The morning had turned into a crisp afternoon, the kind of late fall afternoon that makes you forget it's nearly winter. The cloudless blue sky only made the day feel colder, and as Yuuri cycled through the green of Central Park, he had to dodge piles of waterlogged leaves, and freezing puddles. 

Just beyond their apartment building was a small Japanese cafe, owned and run by a family that Yuuri had known in Hasetsu. The green sign that hung above the door read Nishigori Noodles. When he hopped off his bike and stepped into the warm smell of baked Japanese goods, he was immediately attacked by three screaming children, running circles around his legs.

"Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri!" They screeched, looping around him and in between the empty tables. He approached the counter and rang the little bell, leaning over the register to see into the back room. From under the counter he heard a yelp, before a short woman revealed herself.

Her auburn hair was scraped into a ponytail, the colour a perfect match for the apron loosely slung around her neck. She had a smudge of flour on her cheek, which she clearly hadn't noticed, and she closed her eyes at the screaming children now hounding her behind the counter.

"Girls, please," she asked, shaking her head, and accidentally loosening her hair tie. They stopped when she spoke, leaning up onto the counter to stare at Yuuri. Their chubby faces were pressed against the wooden top, cheeks smushed as they waited for him to speak.

"Yuuko, hi, and hey girls," he ruffled their hair, one by one, and this seemed sufficient enough for them to run out into the back of the shop. Yuuko smiled, before waving him to follow her behind the counter. Yuuri obliged, carefully pushing the rickety gate open and stepping through the cluttered store cupboard and into the kitchen, where Yuuko's husband Takeshi was almost finished frying the vegetables for Yuuri's standard lunch. He always visited them on a Tuesday.

"What's up?" Yuuri asked, hopping onto the counter and helping himself to one of the miniature baked cheesecakes stacked on the table, earning his hand a slap from the man cooking.

"The kids are off school today, it is Thanksgiving after all, and, well-" Yuuko was interrupted.

"They're killing us. Are you free today?" Takeshi's eyes were pleading, and Yuuri just laughed.

"I'm not free today, but I can come and get them off you tomorrow. Just hold tight until then and I can pick them up at 9. Sound good?" He jumped down, and pulled a couple of plastic containers out from underneath the place he had been sat, opening them so that Takeshi could pour the food in for him. Yuuko grabbed him in a tight hug, slightly winding him.

"Thank you thank you thank you. Here," she poured the rest of the cheesecake bites into another container and handed them over. Yuuri bowed, before kissing her cheek and returning to the front of the store.

On his way back to the apartment, he clutched the warm food close to his chest while wheeling his bike back with one hand. Today had been a weird day, and he was still reeling from Sara's offer. What's more, it was Victor who had orchestrated the entire thing. 

After locking up his bike inside, he took the elevator for fear of the food going cold, and was surprised to find that his apartment door was left wide open.

"Hello?" He called, stepping in and finding that the couch and the table had been moved to opposite ends of the room, the table overturned and the couch pushed flush against the wall.

Silence, followed by a small chunk of plastic clattering across the floor. Suddenly, Yuuri was pounded with mini plastic houses, shielding his face and turning away from the firing line.

"Hey! It's Yuuri! Truce?" Phichit peeked his head over the couch, eyes narrowed and a hand raised as a peace offering.

"Only until we have eaten, mon Cheri. Then, you're toast," Chris glared over the red vinyl, eyes darting towards the door, before pushing himself up and dragging the table back to the kitchen. Yuuri just shook his head as he dished up.

"You guys suck," he chided, only semi-serious. Chris just laughed.

"You are just jealous you've been cooped up in an office all day. So, how was brunch? Did you get the job?" Chris helped himself to a bottle of water as he spoke. Phichit took a seat opposite him, accepting Yuuri's offer of food.

"Yeah, she woke me up," Phichit slurped his noodles, speaking between mouthfuls. Yuuri nodded.

"Yeah, well, she wants me to work with her as an intern but I need to get my name on the paper. She said it was Victor's idea," Yuuri was last to start eating. He glanced at his watch before quickly shovelling the food into his mouth. Surprisingly, it was still piping hot, so he had to slow down a little.

"Yeah, it was. He thinks you'd be amazing at it, and we decided to just go for it. It's not like you were ever gonna do it yourself, right?" Chris winked.

"Exactly," Phichit agreed. "You need to do this, and I'm sure you'll nail the interview-"

"There's an interview?" Yuuri's fork clattered to the ground. Chris and Phichit just looked at him. 

"Of course, that's what this is," Chris laughed, returning his attention to the noodles. Yuuri put his head into his hands.

"I can't do an interview-" the door opened, and Victor stepped in, interrupting Yuuri. He had a brown grocery bag that was steaming, and he laughed.

"Chris, you could have told me you already had lunch," he placed the bag down, and pulled out individually wrapped bagels, still warm. Each had a different sticker on it, and Victor knew exactly who had what. It was a strange combination but, surprisingly, the bagels and noodles actually complimented each other well. When he was settled, and after taking a large bite of his own bagel, Victor asked what they were talking about.

"Yuuri had a date this morning," Chris cooed, nudging Yuuri playfully.

"Oh?" Victor's voice was level, but his face had changed slightly.

"It was with Sara, and it wasn't a date. We spoke about the magazine," Yuuri defended vehemently, almost knocking his bowl over as he did so. Victor's face lightened again, and he laughed delicately.

"Ah, I see, so when do you start?" Victor returned to his bagel, but kept his eyes on Yuuri. 

"I don't yet," he muttered, glancing at his watch once more before standing. "Back to it, Phichit, I wanna come back later and this room will be spotless, yes?" 

Phichit rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir." He glanced at Chris, who snickered, but seriously slammed a fist against the table.

"Round three, and this time I'm gonna kick your ass," he pointed at Phichit, who just laughed maniacally.

"Au contraire, mon Cheri." 

Yuuri shook his head, and waved as he left. Victor watched as he left, sighing as the door clicked shut.

"You're going to get yourself caught," Chris teased.

"That's the plan. So, can I be the elf?" 

"What is it with you guys and the elf? Who has a name, by the way," Phichit started towards the couch, followed by Chris. It took them 10 minutes to collect all the rogue pieces, and set up the board again.

"Game on!"

**Author's Note:**

> Long time, no see!  
> I'm hoping to get this started again, it's been a while and I've been distracted writing something else which I can hopefully get finished this week!!


End file.
